As you might know I just released my new book on meditation last weekend. This is my eighth published book in the last twenty years. This is an incredibly exhausting endeavor but I never tire of the exhilaration of the process. I released my first novel, Alarm Clock Dawn, in installments on Steemit last fall. Ever since I did this I haven’t been able to shake the idea that Steemit (and future competitors) will play a key role in the future of publishing. Last week’s book launch definitely confirmed the idea.
The purpose of launching my most recent book, The Perfect Pause, was twofold. Of course, my goal was to generate a buzz and get more book sales but I went into it with the intent to experiment and create an easy-to-follow formula for other indie authors to follow. Click through these posts to see how I approached publicizing my book.
A week after the launch it’s been fascinating to compare different metrics between Amazon and Steemit and get an accurate picture of what kind of role Steemit can play in my future projects. I’ve determined that Steemit has definitely proven its worth in terms of enhancing a traditional indie book launch on CreateSpace (paperback) and Amazon Kindle Direct (eBook). After this little experiment, I think Steemit should play an even larger role. I intend on testing this theory with the launch of my second novel, Truth Is Stranger,* later this fall. More on this to come.
Let me break down for you what I learned:
Networking & Pre-Launch
Steemit turned out to be an excellent resource in terms of networking. Each of the following things were accomplished as a direct result of this platform.
- I found a great group of beta readers to help edit the manuscript;
- an incredibly talented book designer (Lubosh Cech) through the recommendation of a fellow Steemian (thanks Ruth; and
- last but not least, a celebrity endorsement of the book (Leon Logothetis).
The community really came together to support me on this project and I thank each and every one of you.
Engagement
In my experience, the level of engagement and support I’ve received from the Steemit community dwarfs all other social media platforms. To get the level of engagement I experience on Steemit on other social media platforms I must pay for access to my own audience though post promotion.
I’ll give you just one example, this week I boosted one Facebook post to advertise my book. On Facebook, twenty dollars bought me 1,723 views and 32 clicks. Absolutely no comparison to Steemit.
Profit
I produced nine Steemit posts about the book in the two weeks leading up to the launch on June 25th. The seven-day voting window hasn’t closed on some of them yet but the payout of these posts likely will dwarf the book’s first week of revenue on Amazon by a large margin (roughly 15x).
This number is staggering to me. Granted, the paperback and eBook version of the book has the potential of creating a longer-term revenue stream but, in my experience, sales generally taper off in 2-3 months unless you release a sequel. There is a real chance that the book sales revenue will take months to equal the income earned from the Steemit posts. Essentially, the Steemit earnings were a kind of crowdfunding that paid for the costs associated with the production of the book. This allowed me to more than break even before the book launched...a rarity for indie authors.
In Conclusion
The way I see it Steemit should play a role in every indie author’s book marketing strategy. The key is to build a steady foundation of followers before you launch your book. Just as the internet has disrupted the entertainment and retail industries, crypto-currency and blockchain have just begun to show us their true potential. It’s up to us pioneers, as members of the Steemit community, to keep pushing these boundaries and experimenting.
I've found the answer to that question up there in the post title to be a resounding YES.
I will have much more to share with you all as the marketing for The Perfect Pause continues and as we get closer to the release date for the sequel to Alarm Clock Dawn. Have a wonderful weekend!
(Gif compliments of Giphy.com)
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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